Drainer



Nov. 3, 1936. R. BENTLEY 2,059,432

' DRAINER Filed June 26, 1935 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTQR, RA rue/v0 BEN TL E Y.

B Y S 3 '1 'TORNE Y R. BENTLEY Nov. 3, 1936.

DRAINER' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jun 26, 1953 INVENTOR, RAYMOND BENTLEY.

BY A TORNE Y Patented Nov. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES PA'I'TENT OFFICE DRAINER Raymond Bentley, Monterey, Calif., assignorof one-half to Knut Hovden, Monterey, Calif.

Application June 26, 1933, Serial No. 677,645

12 Claims My invention relates to drainers especially adapted to draining the liquids from filled uncovered cans, such as flat oval cans of sardines.

It is an object of my invention to provide a drainer for removing the liquids from filled cans of fish, or the like, without abrading or otherwise damaging the solid contents therein. Further objects of my inventionare: to provide a drainer of improved efiiciency, speed and effectiveness; and to provide an automatic drainer which is not liable to jam or otherwise injure cans and become incapacitated; and to provide one device capable of accommodating different sized cans; and to provide an especially simple device with few moving parts for the purposes set forth; one which is sanitary and easily cleaned and in which the moving. parts need not be specially synchronized. Further objects of my invention are to provide a drainer'which is economical to build, sanitary and easy to keep clean, of particularly long life and one which is singularly free from service requirements. It is .a further object of my invention to teach an ingenious, new, and improved method of draining. Other and ancillary objects of my invention will be suggested in the following description and in the practiceand use of the device of myinvention.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the drainer of my invention. a

Figure 2 is a detail elevation of a portion of the can-supporting drum and belt in operation.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the drainer.

Figure 4 is a sectional plan view of the drainer below the uppermost pulley. The plane of section is indicated by line 4-4 in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an'end elevation of the drainer.

It is desirable in certain canning operations to drain liquids from filled but uncovered cans.

Particularly in packing large pilchards or sardines intflat oval tins, previously-known drainers were relatively slow, liable to clogging and stoppage, unthorough, and otherwise not entirely satisfactory. The embodiment of my invention shown and described here in detail is especially designed to handle uncovered fiat oval tins 2 filled with pilchards, and to drain liquids from the cans without disturbingor injuring the solid contents thereof.

In its simplest conception the can drainer may be thought of as a pair of conveyor, surfaces forming a passage'between which a can is carried in a circuit from upright to upside down position and back to upright position. (See Fig. 2.) One conveyor surface is constituted by the relatively smooth, broad, flat rim of a drum 4, fixed to a shaft 6, journaled for rotation in a supporting framework 8 of purely conventional or other preferred construction. The drum 4 is driven at moderate speed by an electric motor or other convenient power source (not shown) through a drive chain l0 and sprocket l2 fixed to shaft 8.

It is preferred at present to employ a drum 4 of approximately three feet diameter, though a very much larger or smaller drum might be used, and to rotate the drum slowly at approximately five to ten revolutions per minute. There are certain advantages to this slow speed, but it will 1 be understood that the characteristics of the device of my invention uniquely permit very much higher speeds where desired.

When the drainer is running, but before cans have been fed to it, the drum 4 acts directly as a lower pulley for an endless flexible belt I4; the

upper pulley I8 for which is positioned vertically above drum 4. (See Fig. 1.) The upper pulley I6 is an idler mounted on a shaft l8, parallel to the shaft 6 of drum 4, and journaled for free ro-. 2o tation in the yoke of a large counterweighted lever 20. The lever is freely fulcrumed on an axle '22 supported by the upper portion of frame- .work 8. An adjustable counterweight 24 near the outer end of lever 28 acts to force the pulley I6 upward and thereby urges the flexible belt l4- yieldably up against the rim of drum 4. It is desired to constrain the belt M to surround all but the topmost portion of the rim of drum'4, and for this purpose a. pair of small idler pulleys 26 and 28 are journaled in the framework 8 immediately above and one on each side of the vertex.

of drum 4. The pulleys I6, 26, and 28 are coplanar with drum 4, and the belt l4 runs over its vertex. Rotation of drum 4 carries the cans' under belt I which, by reason 'of counterweight 24, yields to accommodate them and holds them firmly against the drum during further rotation thereof. The belt l4 also prevents spillage of the solid contents from the cans as they are carried around to upside down position at the bottomof drum 4. The belt I4 is drain-channelled to permit drainage of liquids from the inverted cans. In the drawings, (see Fig. 5) for purposes of clarity, the belt i4 is illustrated as a multiapertured web. Only portions of the belt are shown apertured in the drawings, but it will'be understood that the entire belt is similarly aper-v tured. In actual practice it is preferred to employ a belt of woven wire mesh or, fine mesh chain construction. The belt is substantially as wide as the length of the largest flat can to be drained,

and the face of drum 4 is slightly wider than the belt. The cans are carried between the belt and 1 face against .the tops of the cans is appreciably drum through a circuit of revolution which first inverts the cans to draining position and thereafter restores them to right side up position. Throughout this circuit the open tops of the cans face radially outward from the center of revolution. It will be appreciated, therefore, that centrifugal force is added to the force of gravity tending to promote drainage from the cans.

As has been suggested, the rim of drum 4 constitutes one continuous can-supporting conveyor surface, and the belt l4 constitutes the other continuous can-supporting conveyor surface between which is formed a passage for carrying the cans from upright to upside down or draining position and back to upright position after draining, when they may be removed at the end of their circuit from the top of drum 4. Drum 4 is the live or driving member and is smoothsurfaced to allow harmless slippage in event any excessive obstruction is encountered by the cans. Its driving effect on the cans is thereby nonpositive. Belt I4 is an idler member driven only through friction of its surface against the drum 4 or the cans carried thereby. It will be observed that both conveyor surfaces are continuous in the sense that there are no clamps, stops, or other obstructions requiring exact registry of the cans with either conveyor surface, so there is practically no likelihood of the cans piling up v or jamming. Moreover friction of; the belt surgreater than friction of the drum surface against the can bottoms. Accordingly, if slippage occurs it will be localized harmlessly against the can bottoms and will not cause abrasion of the fish at the tops of the cans. The belt, being driven by contact with the can tops, is constrained thereby to move at precisely the same linear speed as the tops of the cans.

My invention is believed to teach a new method of draining; in that the filled uncovered cans to be drained are fed, with their uncovered faces toward the belt, in between a driven pulley and idler belt so that the belt and pulley hold the cans while the pulley and belt invert them to draining position and restore them to right side up position.

Ingeniously simple means are provided for automatically removing cans from the 'drainer. (See Fig. 4.) A smooth, straight, sheetsteel bar 30, slightly higher than the cans 2 and attached to framework 8, is supported thereby immediately above the vertex of drum 4 with just suifl-- cient clearance to permit free rotation of the drum. The bar 30 crosses the rim of drum 4 horizontally at an angle of approximately sixty degrees to the plane of rotation; i. e., at a skew angle of approximately thirty degrees to the axis of rotation of the drum. A lesser angle than the sixty degrees specified is, of course, permissible, and in some instances may be preferable. As cans are carried up on the topof drum 4 after being drained, they are stopped by the bar 38,;

and since this bar is placed at an angle to the direction of traverse, the cans when pushed against the bar, slide along it and off the rim of drum 4 onto the floor of a smooth horizontal discharge slide 32 of which bar 30 constitutes one side wall. The floor of slide 32 is imperceptibly lower than the top of drum 4 and approaches its edge with just suflicient clearance to permit free rotation of the drum. The other side wall 34 of discharge slide 32 terminates in a flaring lip close to drum 4. The slide is slightly wider than the width of the widest can 2, which is to .cans still on conveyor 42.

be handled, and extends out to a can-removing conveyor 36 onto which it discharges the drained cans.

Similarly constructed means are provided for automatically feeding cans to the drainer. Bar

. 30, in addition to forming a side wall of the discharge slide at one side of drum 4, is'extended in the opposite direction to constitute one side wall of a can-feeding slide 38 at the opposite side of the drum. The smooth horizontal floor of the can-feeding slide 38 is imperceptibly higher than the top of druml and approaches its edge with just sufiicient clearance to permit free rotation of the drum. The other side wall 40 of the canfeeding slide terminates close to the rim of drum 4. The slides 32 and 38 are staggered; the bar 38 forming the right-hand wail of slide 32 and the left-hand wall of slide 38 as viewed in the drawings, so that undrained cans are fed onto the drum by slide 38 immediately beyond the point where drained cans are removed byslide 32. A travelling belt or other suitable conveyor 42, similar to conveyor 36 and driven by any suitable source of power (not shown), carries the cans to be drained preferably in a single row up to the can-feeding slide 38 onto and along which they are shoved by pressure from succeeding In order to prevent the can-feeding mechanism from shoving the cans too far and of! the opposite side of drum 4, a fixed stop 44, is provided beyond the drum. (See Fig. 2.) The stop is abroad plate supported by the bar 30 in close juxtaposition to the radial face of drum 4 opposite the mouth-of the canfeeding slide 38. The plate 44 extends along and projects above the circumference of the drum down to the point where entering cans are firmly gripped by the belt l4. The conveyor 42 is non-positive in the sense that when the rim of the drum 4 is full of cans, the conveyor will frictionally urge succeeding cans toward the stop 44 but will slip instead of forcibly jamming them thereagainst.

'l'. have described one embodiment of my invention in detail, but it is emphasized that this embodiment is illustrative and not inclusive of all the forms my invention may assume. Certain of the objects, or certain portions or combinations of the objects, of the invention may be attained with the use of less than all its advantageous features or with modifications within its purview. It is petitioned that my invention be limited only by the claims constituting its final determination.

I claim:

'1. In a can drainer, can-traversing mechanism, means associated therewith for tipping cans to draining position during traverse, a substantially continuous drain-channelled can-supporting surface member incorporated in said mechanism to support a plurality of cans while sage bent to tip open cans traveling therethrough portions of'isaid cans supported thereby, whereby said can-traversing means is adapted nonpositively to traverse said cans and said cans in turn relatively more positively to move said member; said member being driven solely by said cans.

3. A can drainer comprising a frame, a smooth surfaced drum journaled on a substantially horizontal axis in said frame, means for rotating said drum, a flexible beltlooped under said drum and mounted and guided for idling movement therearound; said belt being spaced generously from the tcp of said drum whereby uncovered cans mayrbe fed open-side up onto the top of said drum, and means for urging said belt resiliently "toward the bottom and sides of said drum whereby to hold cans in draining position thereagainst; said belt having a drain-channelled surface to permit drainage from cans held thereby, said cans being driven non-positively by frictional contact with said drum, and said idly mounted belt being driven solely by contact of cans there-against.

. 4. A can drainer comprising a frame, a smooth surfaced drum journaled on a substantially horizontal axis in said frame, means for rotating said drum, a flexible belt looped under said drum and mounted and guided for idling movement therearound; said belt being spaced generously from the top of said drum whereby uncovered cans may be fed open-side up onto the top of said drum, automatic means for feeding cans onto said drum, automatic means for removing cans from said drum, and means for urging said belt resiliently toward the bottom, and sidesof said drum whereby to hold cans in draining position there-against; said belt having a drain-channelled surface to permit drainage from cans held thereby, said cans being driven non-positively by frictional contact with said drum, and said idly mounted belt being driven solely by contact of cans there-against.

5. A can; drainer, comprising a pair of conveyor members mounted for travel in a circuit including upper and lower traverses and upward and downward connecting traverses over which the path of one of said members encompasses and is adapted to be spaced from the path of the other said member sufficiently to hold cans therebetween; one of said members having a drain-channelled surface to permit drainage from cans supported thereby, and means for driving only one of said members, the other of said members being mounted for ,free' idling movement to be driven solely by engagement with the cans supported thereby.

6. In acan drainer, means forming a can pas- -into draining position; said means incorporating a movable drain-channeled surface member, resilient .means for relatively urging said surface member yieldably against and in frictional engagement with the open ends ofsaid cans; and means independent of can-positioning lugs for traversing cans through said passage while providing for movementof said surface member at the same linear speed as the portions of, cans bearing thereagainst whereby precise spacing of,

pans is not required. I

' 7. In a can drainer, means forming a can passage bent to tip open cans traveling therethrough into draining position; said means incorporating a movable drain-channeled surface member, re-

silient means for relatively urging said surface member yieldably against and in frictional engagement with the open ends of said cans, and means independent of can-positioning lugs for traversing cans through said passage while providing for movement of said surface member at -positioning lugs for traversing cans through said passage while providing for movement of said surface member at the same linear speed as the portions of cans bearing the'reagainst whereby precise spacing of-cans is not required.

9. In a can drainer, means forming a can passage bentto tip open cans traveling therethrough into draining position; said means incorporating a movable multi-drain-channeled rough slip resisting surface member, means for relatively holding said surface member against the open ends of said cans, and means independent of can-positioning lugs for traversing cans through said passage while providing for movement of said surface member at the same linear speed as the portions of cans bearing thereagainst whereby precise spacing of cans is not required.

10. In a can drainer, means forming a can passage bent to tip open cans traveling therethrough into draining position; said means incorporating a movable drain-channeled surface member, means for relatively holding said surface member againstthe open ends of said cans, and means independent of can-positioning lugs and including a slip-resisting can-engaging surface for traversing cans through said passage while providing for movement of said surface member at the same linear speed as the portions of cans bearing thereagainst whereby precise spacing of cans is not required.

11. In a can drainer, means forming a can passage bent to tip open cans traveling therethrough into draining position; said means incorporating a movable drain channeled surface member, means for relatively holding said surface member against the open ends of said cans, means for preventing slippage of the open ends of said cans against said surface member and insuring precise identity of speed therewith, and means independent of can-positioning lugs for traversing cans through said passage whereby precise .spacing of cans is not required.

12. In a can drainer, a pair of conveyor members spaced apart to hold cans therebetween and mounted for travel in a path forming a bent passage adapted to tip cans held therebetween into draining position; one of said members having a drain-channeled surface to permit drainage from cans supported thereby; and means for driving only one of said members, the other of said members being mounted for free idling move- 

